Football Standouts To Play In Annual All-American Bowl

Eddie Vallery

Brad McKinley

Keenan Freeman

Springfield, Ohio — Three members of Wittenberg University's North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship football team have been selected to play in the 2010 All-American Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 18, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Eddie Vallery, class of 2011 from South Solon, Ohio, linebacker Brad McKinley, class of 2011 from Hilliard, Ohio, and cornerback Keenan Freeman, class of 2011 from Fairborn, Ohio, have committed to playing in the game. Vallery was the national Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and became just the second Wittenberg player to earn two All-America designations from the American Football Coaches Association, while McKinley was a four-year all-conference selection and Freeman overcame two season-ending injuries during his collegiate career to make first-team All-NCAC in 2010.

The All-American Bowl was founded in 1996 as a way to give small college student-athletes an opportunity to play a game against top competition before an audience that includes professional scouts. The 2010 All-American Bowl was scheduled to be played in the Metrodome before the facility's roof caved in due to the weight of a snowstorm on Dec. 12. It has been moved to the Gibson/Nagurski Football Practice Facility at the University of Minnesota.

A year after earning NCAC, North Region, OhioCollegeFootball.com and NCAA Division III Defensive Player of the Year, Vallery overcame a significant preseason injury to finish third on the team with 76 tackles, including 10.5 for loss and six sacks. He finished his collegiate career ranked in the top five in program history in career tackles for loss and sacks.

McKinley led the Tigers in tackles for a fourth consecutive year, finishing with 108 on the season to go along with a team-high 11.5 stops for loss and five sacks. He became just the third Wittenberg player to top 400 career tackles.

Freeman was credited with 38 tackles and a team-high nine passes defended in 2010. A two-year team captain, Freeman also contributed two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

The Tigers went 6-0 in the NCAC to win the program's league-best 10th title in 22 years as a member, and 10-0 in the regular season, the 19th undefeated regular season in program history. The outright title advanced the Tigers to their 14th NCAA Division III Tournament since its inception in 1973, where they suffered a 37-14 road loss to Ohio Northern in the first round.

Written By: Ryan Maurer
Photos By: Erin Pence

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